Why Enea Bastianini ignored Catalunya long laps: “Crazy, but it's like this!”

Enea Bastianini finished the Catalan MotoGP race with a trail of unserved long laps to his name, resulting in the FIM Stewards applying a 32-second post-race time penalty.

It was assumed the factory Ducati rider had simply not seen the initial long lap penalty, given ‘due to a shortcut at Turn 2’. 

But he then also 'missed' the double long lap message, for failing to comply with the previous penalty. And also a ride-through penalty, for failing to serve the double long lap. The following time penalty was the equivalent of a ride-through.

The Italian revealed there had been no confusion over the communication of the penalties. Instead, he was adamant the decisions were wrong and chose to ignore them.

“The dashboard [message] was very clear! But I didn't agree with the dashboard!” Bastianini smiled.

The Ducati team also publicly backed Bastianini’s actions and the #23 claims video evidence during post-race meetings with Race Direction supported his case.

Bastianini explained that he was forced wide at Turn 1 during a close battle with Alex Marquez. He then (ironically) rode through the long lap penalty lane before rejoining the track.

The official reason for Bastianini’s first penalty was that 'riders cutting the track in the race must be at least 1 second slower in that sector than their average normal time'.

Putting aside the move by Marquez, which Bastianini’s felt was arguably worth a penalty for the Gresini rider, and insisting that he had no choice but to run off, the Italian insisted he did lose more than one second.

“I overtook Alex in the straight and when we arrived on the brakes, I braked very, very late but he braked later than me and pushed me out on the kerb,” Bastianini said.

“The only solution was to cut the chicane. And also I lost time because I followed the line of the long lap.

“I waited for a ‘drop position’ [penalty] for Alex but after arrived the long lap penalty… for me! I did not agree and decided to continue without doing the long lap.

“I know it's not the correct choice, but we have to do something because nothing changes. Every race there is something to explain with the [Stewards] and it's not correct for me.”

Such behaviour would normally see a rider reprimanded by his team, but Bastianini said Ducati supported his decision not to serve the penalties. 

“Davide [Tardozzi] and all the team agreed with my decision, they understand what's happened,” he said.

“After the race, I went with Davide to explain the problem and to see better the video. For the [Stewards] at the start, [their decision] was correct, the long lap penalty. Then after they said ‘OK, no…’”

A Ducati press officer added: "They saw their decision was wrong."

“I also tried to get back my ninth position at the finish of the race,” Bastianini continued. “But Race Direction can do nothing, also because for Race Direction I did not lose [enough] time when I entered again the track.

“And I said: ‘No, no, no. Check better the video. I lost one second!’

“I know if you cut the chicane [you have to lose time]. I was together with Alex and when I entered the track again, Alex was 200 metres ahead!”

Unfortunately for Bastianini, even if subsequent evidence did show he was forced off-track and lost more than one second, the MotoGP regulations state:

‘No appeal may be lodged against a decision made by any judges of fact in the exercise of their duties, including… long lap penalty(ies) imposed for a Sprint or Race on that same day.’

In other words, while we don’t know if the FIM Stewards and/or Race Direction agree with Bastianini, even if they did, it’s not possible to reverse an in-race penalty.

“Yeah, it’s impossible,” Bastianini shrugged.

Even if you can show the penalty was wrong?

“This is crazy, but it's like this!” he said.

The 32-second penalty dropped Bastianini from 9th to 18th place, also costing him seven points. 

He is now fourth in the world championship, 20 points behind Marc Marquez and 61 from Jorge Martin.

Ducati Lenovo also lost seven points in the teams' standings.

Although Ducati publicly supported Bastianini, there were whispers that one of the lessons from today is that, even if you are sure you are right, it's better in terms of the race result to serve the first penalty...